IMPLEMENTATION OF PATIENT-CENTERED CARE AND MEDICAL CARE IMPROVEMENT: CURRENT STATE (review)

Abstract

The aim of the research: to conduct an analysis and generalization of scientific publications on the issue of the patient-centered care implementation in clinical practice setting. Results. The concept of a patient-centered care, proposed in the USA in the early 1990s, was subsequently used by the WHO in the development of the program for the development of the health care system in the 21st century. This approach shifts the focus from the traditional biomedical model, in which the doctor is given a priority role in decision-making to a model that establishes a partnership among practitioners, patients, and their families. Recent scientific publications identified eight principles of patient-centered care: respect for patient's values, preferences, and expressed needs, provision of information and education, emotional support to relieve fear and anxiety, involvement of family and friends, physical comfort and symptom`s relief, continuity and secure transition between healthcare settings, coordination of care, access to care. The implementation of a patient-centered care in clinical practice faces a number of difficulties, in particular, with regard to the influence of social, economic, financial factors, training of medical personnel and patient education. Another aspect is the heterogeneity of patients in terms of their ability to take a partnership approach and be involved in the decision-making process. Further clinical trials are needed to provide evidence for the practical use of the most effective approaches to patient-centered care implementation. Conclusions: The patient-centered care has become a key element of the quality of medical care and assumes that the care provided should meet the individual patient preferences, needs and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions. The introduction of a patient-centered care requires appropriate medical education of doctors to improve communication skills and patient`s education for involve patients in the treatment process as partners.